Aerial dart.



- H. S. PECK.

AERIAL DART.

APFLHZATION mm SEPLZB. x915 Patented July 4,1916. I

To all'uihom it'mdy concern: V Be it; known, that" I, HORACE 'S. B CK, a

- STATES-- PATENT, oFEIoE.

HORACE s'. 2110K, ornocnns'frmz; zmwaro'mz, ASSIGNOR, BY THE smoMA commas-men, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK- f. I

AERIAL DART.

PatentedJ uly 1916.

Appliiiatiomflled squmb ras, 1915; Serial 53,104.-

citizen of; the States, residing at Rochester, 1n the county 'of Monroe and S ta te of New York, have invented certainnew useful Improvements in Aerial Darts, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My invention relates to that class of projectiles -used in warfare and commonly known-as aerialdarts, and adapted to be released by aviators on the heads of an enemy'over which they may be flying, oron submersible or.v other vessels, buildings, zeppelins, or other aerial craft, 6130., and

[the invention-consists, essentially, of a dart or like .device formed of metal and prefer- 'ably in-the form of a tubecontaining an explosive 'and havingja striking head by which it; is' weighted at its front/end and having its opposite ortail end formed with longitudinally, extending vanes or fins adapted to impart rotationi to the missile during its descent and, 0t, preferably,

slightly" spiral formto stabilize the'devi'ce '3Ild increase-its destructive power. a

. In; the. accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which 81mllar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views; Figure 1 is a perspective .viewflof-a dart or like device embodying my'invention. Fig-'2 is a part section and part side elevation of the same.

F ig. ,3 is a partelevation and part sectional view of a dart having a modified form of striking head. v

In carrying out my invention I construct the dart of appropriate tubular material. as brass, iron or steel, aluminum or paper, ,andof any desired length and diameter. In practice, I prefer to make the body, A, of cylindrical form and of sutiicient thickness that the metal will not be entirely pulverized when subjected to the destructive etl'ect'ofthe exploding charge with which the dart'is supplies. but pieces of substantial size will remain and which will be scattered in all directions and will,,accordin gl v, act disastrously upon llOdlQfi of men or a flying.,. machine. etc.. in the immediate vicinity of the exploded dart.-

' -The bod v,' A. may be made of a tube of uniform diameter and its rear end is pressed inwardly on radial linesor otherwise formed with longitudinal vanes, (z, of substantial length, aha which are, preferably,',given a slight spiral .or"twist-in:the jdir ti f their length, to cause said-"Ivanes'to impart the real extremitytoward the front and gradually curveoutwardly and merge into the outer sides of the tube.

in cross-section, and thelgrooveslb, 1f0rmed between the vanes decrease in depth from; .85

' The front end-0f the tube is finished on' its inside to receive and frictionally hold a solid striking --head, B. This. head may be made. of steel or other suitable 'metal and it has a body part which conforms toand is designed to fit the front endof :the tube, A, and to enter the same for such'distanc e as to -insure the secure-attachment of the head.

thereto. 'The head. is, also, formed with a pointed end, vc. atthe base of which may be formed a shoulder, "II, which will limit the entrance ofthe head into the tube.

In the drawings Iillustratet-wo forms of my inventionbut in each instance the..vital parts are essentially the same. If the'dart is. used inconn'ection with a higheXplosive. say dynamite, nitro-glycerin, or the like. and which will be exploded by concussion. I preferto use the type of'striking head substantially as shown in Figs. I and '2, and wherein the inner end of the head formed or provided with a firing pin, a, and the sides of. the head are formed or provided with grooves,.f, and which latter are designed to slidably receivethe arms, of a suitable holder, C,'for a capor fulminate.

The ordinary [)QICIISSIOH cap may well e used for the purpose and is so illustrated.

and in order that it may be properly posi tione d over the end of the firing-pin. 1'; I construct the holder; C with a coil; lhfor other appropriate seat forthe cap. and f'nim which coil the arms. 1, otthe holder extend. These arms may be and preferably arc..made somewhat springy having: a tendency in spread outwardly whereby when the hvzld. B, with its cap-holder in place and with the arms of the hol( erseated in the Ql'uu\'v f. is pushed into the trontend of tile tIllu-J the arms will be depressed and Hlilhlfilli frivtion will be Created between the an and the inner wall of the tube to illFlil'i the proper attachment of the head to lintube,

and yet to allow the head to slide inwardly relatively to the cap-holder, upon striking an object, to carry the firing-pin of the head into forcible contact with the cap or fuhninate, thereby igniting the latter and firing the charge of explosive with which the tube, .A, is-provided. By this means a powder charge in the tube may be ignited or the concussion arising from the head, B, striking an object may be utilized to explode the charge which in this instance may be dynamite or a like high explosive.

It will also be noted that the outer ends of the arms of the cap-holder, C,-are bent laterally beyond the plane of the sides of the striking head, and that the lower or head end of the tube rests against these lateral extensions and thereby forms a stop to holdthe cap-holder so that the head, upon striking an object, may slide inwardly relatively to the cap-holder and thereby bring its firing-pin into forcible contact with the cap or primer.

In orderthat the striking head may operate as described, said head will normally be set slightly forward to remove the firing-pin from contact with the cap or fuhninate and to ,provide for the inward movement of the head upon striking an object.

The head, B, of the dart shown in Fig. 3 'is somewhat different from the head. B, of the device of Fig. 1. In Fig. 3, the end of the head is more in the form of a truncated cone, the smaller end of which is bored or formed to receive a cap-holder, m. in which an ordinary percussion cap. a, is fixed with its head so exposed that upon striking an object the cap will be exploded. The flame arising from this action flares through a small hole, 0, formed axially in the head and ignites the powderkor other charge in the tube. 1

- In either of the described instances the device is designed to be liberated in large quantities by aviators flying at a suitable distance above the heads of an enemy or above zeppelins, aeroplanes, dirigibles or other flying machines, or above submarines or other vessels, or places of the enemy which it is of advantage to destroy or damage, and when a quantity of the darts are released, and fall as in a shower, it is more than probable that one or more of the darts will strike the desired object. Whatever the position of the darts when first released they immediately, because of their weighted heads and the vanes formed on their tail portions, right themselves and drop with increasing momentum and when their striking heads contact with an object, there results the instant explosion of the contained charge and the disruption or bursting of the tube and the widespread scattering of the fragments thereof to the great damage of personsor things within the zone in which the explosion takes place. The device may be made at little cost, and the tube may be first filled with explosive and the front end closed by a wad or disk of paraffin or the like to protect the charge from the admission of moisture, the opposite or tail end of the tube being also closed, by the close bending or folding of the parts to form the radial vanes and by a drop of solder, for a similar purpose. The heads being readily separable fromthe tubes they may be separately packaged, this insuring greater safety in the handling and transportation of the devices in bulk, and, when required, the heads may be quickly and operatively attached to the tubes to complete the article and prepare for its intended purposes.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An :i'erial dart of the character described, comprising atubular member containing an explosive charge and having its tail portion provided with longitudinally ex tending vanes adapted to give rotation and to accurately guide the dart in its descent, a separate striking head slidably fitted within and forming a closure for the front end of the tube, and means cooperating with said head for firing said charge;

An aerial dart of the character described containing an exploding charge and having a separable slidably mounted striking head of conical form at its front end, means for temporarily holding the head in fixed relation, to said charge, and means for firing said charge by the impact of said head against an object.

An aerial dart comprising a tube having a fluted rear portion containing an exploding charge and a separable, slidably-guided striking-head of substantially conical form entering the tube and constituting the closure for the front end thereof, said tube and head having coacting means for temporarily retaining the head in extended position but yieldable on contact of the head with an object to permit the head to slide farther into the tube and explode said charge.

4. An aerial dart comprising a tubular body portion containing an explosive charge, said body having one portion provided with longitudinally extending vanes, a separable solid head having a slidable fit within the opposite portion of the tube and serving as a closure therefor, and a fulminate associated with the head adapted to explode said charge by the impact of the sliding head against an object.

' 5. An aerial dart comprising a tubular sheet metal body portion having its rear taining-V a char e of ex losive, a solid detachable head s idably tted to and closing the front end of said tube, and having its inner end rovided with a firing pin, and a holder wit llIl the tube normally positioned above said firing pin and having a fulminate adapted to be exploded by the contact of said pin therewith.

6. Anaerial dart comprising a tubular body portion having its "rear end folded to form a series of longitudinally extending vanes adapted to hold the dart perpendicularly in its descent, said tube containing a char e of explosive, a detachable solid'head slida 1y fitted to and forming a closure for the front end of said tube, said head having its inner end rovided with a firing .pin, and a holder within the tube normally positioned above said firing pin and having a fulminate adapted to be exploded by the contact of the firing pin therewith, said striking head having a pointed outer end.

7. An aerial dart comprising a tubular body portion having its rear end folded to forma series of longitudinally extending vanes adapted to hold the dart perpendicularly in its descent, said tube containing a charge of explosive, a solid head slidably fitted to the front end of said tube and having its inner end provided with a firing pin, a holder within the tube normally positioned adjacent said firing pin, and having a fulminate adapted to be exploded by the contact of the firing pin therewith, said holder having arms st'raddlin' said head and fitting in grooves in the sides thereof.

8. An'aerial dart comprising a tubular body portion having its rear end folded to head and fitting in a groove in the sides thereof, whereby said arms and head have a relative longitudinal movement.

9. An-aerial dart comprising a tubular body portion having its rear end folded to form a series of longitudinally extending vanes adapted to'hold the dart perpendicularly in its descent, said tube containing a charge of explosive, a solid head frictionally fittedto the frontend of said tube and having its inner endprovided with a firing pin,

and a holder within the tube normally poitioned adjacent said firing pin and having a fulm inate in line with and adapted to be exploded by the contact of the firing pin therewith, said holder having arms straddling said head and fitting in grooves in the sides thereof and saidarms and head having relative longitudinal movement, the ex tremities of said arms being bent outwardly beyond the plane of the striking head and adapted to be engaged by the front end of thetube to limit the insertion of the head into said tube. a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HORACE S. PECK. 

